Track for land-dredges.



F. GODDARD.

TRACK FOR LAND DREDGES.

APPLICATIQN FILED DEC. 2. 19H3.

l @l 5, Patented Feb. 13, 1917.

lee/Emme Mmz/ Gomme@ ,mamme FRED GODDAED, DF PARMA, MISSURI.

Tanon Fon Lannnannens.

Application led December 2, 1916.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, FRED GODDARD, a citizen of the United States, and aresident of Farma, in the county of New Madrid and State of Missouri,have invented an Improvement in rliacks for Land-Dredges, of which thefollowing is a'sp'ecitication.

My invention is an improvement in tracks for land dredges, and has forits objectto provide a track of the character specified, consisting ofsections, wherein the sections are so arranged that they may be moved bythe dredge from the rear of the dredge to the front, to provide in thismanner'a continuous trackway.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the improved track in use.

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the joint for connecting the sections. v

Fig. 3 is a section on the line 3f-3 of Fig. 2, ylooking' in thedirection of the arrows adjacent to the line.

In the present embodiment of the invention four similar sections areprovided, two sections being adapted to be arranged parallel forsupporting the dredge, while the other two are being moved forward to asimilar position in front 'of the dredge, to later receive the dredge,and wherein a connecting mechanism is provided for connecting thesections.

Each section consists of a stringer having a channel on its under sideextending longitudinally thereof, for assisting in anchoring theStringer, and in the present instance each stringer is composed of acentral portion 1 and two lateral portions 2, the said portions in thepresent instance being beams 6X8. The central beam 1 is arranged withits wide dimensions horizontal, while the lateral beams 2 are arrangedwith their wide dimensions vertical, and are at the outer sides of thecentral beam. These beams are arranged with their tops in the sameplane, and they are connected by bolts 3, the said bolts being arrangedat suitable intervals and being engaged by nuts, and the bolt heads andnuts are counter-sunk in the outer faces of the lateral portions.

The rails t are laid longitudinally of the stringers at the centersthereof, and they are spaced above the upper surface of the stringersintermediate the ends of the stringers by cross ties 5, and at the endsby other ties 6 of greater width than the ties 5.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. ltd, 19t?.

Serial No. 134,572.

The said rails 4C are spiked to the ties 5, as indicated at 7 and uponthe ties 6 coupling or connecting plates are arranged. Each of theseplates consists of a body portion 8 which is arranged upon the upperface of the plate G and the side edges of the body are then bentinwardly, as indicated at 9, and then upwardly, as indicated at 10, theportions 10 of the plate being spaced apart a suiiicient distance toreceive the base of the rail-4t between them.

Screws 11 are passed down through registering openings in the body andin the portions 9, and into engagement with the ties, and the portions10 are provided with openings near their ends, the openings of the saidportions of each coupling registering. The rail sections l are of alength to extend from approximately the center of the portions 10 of thecoupling at one end of the stringerto a similar position with respect tothe coupling at the other end.

Bolts 12 are passed through the registering openings at the inner endsof the upright portions 10 and through a registering opening in the webof the rail section, and each bolt is engaged by a nut 13 on theopposite side of the rail, to secure therail to the coupling plates.

Preferably the ends of the sections are beveled at their under sides, asindicated more especially in Fig. 1, to facilitate the sliding of thesections over the ground. The sections are of such length that when twoare arranged in parallel relation, as shown in Fig. 1, the entire dredgemay be received upon the said two sections to support the same, and inpractice four sections are made use of, two being used to support thedredge, while the other two are being moved forwardly.

In order to permit the dredge to pass from the sections in use to thosein front, short lengths let of rails are provided, the said lengthsbeing arranged between the alined stringers and resting at their ends onthe ends of the stringers between the upright portions 10 of thecoupling plates. Other bolts 15 are passed through registering openingsin the upright portions and in the rails, and are engaged by nuts 16 toconnect the short lengths to the stringers. With the joined rail inplace, it will be evident that the dredge may pass from the rearwardsections to the forward sections, after which the rearward sections maybe uncou pled and moved forwardly by the dredge.

It will be understood that the sections are of such length as may berequired, and with the ordinary dredge lbs. rails are used. Thestringers being of wood are light, and easily handled. The channel inthe underside insures that they will tightly grip the ground, and willnot spread under the rnovement of the dredges. rlhe sections are easilyhandled, and the track may be laid as speedily as may be desired. Withthe usual dredge a 30 't. Stringer is suhcient.

I claim:

l. A track of the character specified, consisting of sections, eachsection being a Stringer of channel material and arranged with itschannel downward, and having transverse ties on its upper face, a raillaid upon each Stringer upon the ties and secured to the intermediatetics, a. channel-shaped coupling plate at each end of each Stringer, theends of the rails being held by the plates and being spaced from theouter ends of the plates, a tie rail Yit'or connecting the stringers,each tie rail engaging at its ends coupling plates of adjacent sections,bolts for connecting the rails and the tie rails to the coupling plates,each Stringer being composed of three similar portions, of greater widththan thickness, the central portion being arranged with its Widedimension horizontal and the lateral portions with their wide dimensionsvertical.

2. A track of the character specified, con- Copes of this patent may beobtained for Stringer of channel material and arranged with its channeldownward, and having A transverse ties on its upper face, a rail laidupon each Stringer upon the ties and secured to the intermediate ties, acoupling plate at each end of each Stringer, the ends of the rails beingheld by the plates and being spaced from the outer ends of the plates, atie rail for connecting the stringers, each tie rail engaging at itsends coupling plates of adjacent sections, and bolts for connecting therails and the tie rails to the coupling plate.

3. A track of the character Specified, consisting oit Sections, eachsection being a Stringer of channel material and arranged with itschannel downward, and having transverse ties on its upper face, a raillaid upon each Stringer upon the ties and secured to the intermediateties, a coupling plate at each end ot each Stringer, the ends of therails being held by the plates and being spaced from the outer ends ofthe plates,

and a tie rail for connecting the stringersi, each tie rail being heldat its ends by the coupling plates of adjacent sections.

4. A track of the character specified, consisting of Sections, a raillaid upon each section, the ends of the rails being spaced from the endsof the sections, tie rails for connecting the sections, and means ateach end of each` section for connecting the tie rails with the rails ofthe sections.

FRED GODDARD.

ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Batents, Washington, D.C.

